Which Bird Species Are Susceptable To The Virus?
Not all species of birds are susceptible to avian influenza. The bird groups most commonly affected are gallinaceous birds (chickens, quail, pheasants, turkeys and waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans). The virus has also been detected in cormorants, herons, gulls, and scavengers such as crows and certain raptors. Avian influenza is not known to occur in wild songbirds (except very rarely in scavenging members of the crow family). What Are The Concerns for Humans? To date, virtually all human cases of H5N1 have resulted from close contact with domestic fowl, e.g. by poultry raisers and handlers. There is no evidence that contact with wild birds was involved in these cases. In a rare case of person-to-person transmission, it is believed that a child, hospitalized in Thailand, passed the virus to her caregivers—her mother and her aunt. The risk of infection from wild birds is presumably limited to people who frequently handle wild gallinaceous birds, waterfowl, or certain other water birds,
